Using the Moment Tele 58mm Lens on the iPhone 11

We've been getting a multitude of questions regarding the compatibility between the iPhone's beloved flagship model (the 11 and 11 Pro) with Moment lenses. This holds particularly faithful to the Moment Tele 58mm lens, as the iPhone 11 stealthily built in its version of a tele lens. So — one big question still prevails: is there even a point to attaching a Moment Tele Lens to the 11 or 11 Pro?

Within this article, I want to review all of this and more to exemplify Moment's capabilities. We'll dive deep into specs and show you the difference between how it looks on the native lens versus our own.

So, let's get to it.

Let’s Talk About the iPhone 11 Camera.

Much like what was compared to the iPhone XS Max, the iPhone 11 Pro’s camera upgrades seem to come from the updated software Apple put inside their latest flagships. The technical aspects seem only marginally better, yet the highly accounted better results from the ISO capabilities bring intelligent shooting modes to the phone’s native camera. Highly-anticipated features, like Smart HDR and Night Mode, highly surface image-boosting computational photography topics that most devices are now known for (this goes for the Pixels). No matter the situation, Apple’s latest software brings a more pleasing and realistic rendering to most of the images produced, regardless of the camera's megapixel count or stated aperture.

But, the SHARPNESS!

Let’s not argue with how increasingly sharp the camera’s production value has become. Although the main camera retains its 12-megapixel count, every sensor seems brand new (and it surely shows). The standard wide camera’s ISO increased by a near 33%, and the tele camera’s aperture and ISO gains bring its light sensitivity up to a fantastical 42%. This means sharper photographs with faster shutter speeds that allow the photographer less blurry, grainy images. When showcasing night photography, the software improvements, as stated above, boast a higher digestion to lower night, making the images in Night Mode crisp and sound.

We have a more detailed iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro camera review for those interested in diving deep into specs, technical capabilities, and sharpness tests. I recommend reading if you wish for a more comprehensible review.

The Moment Tele 58mm Lens

Suppose you’re an Apple or Samsung user (Pixel strangely doesn't have dual-lens capabilities but kills it with the A.I powered technology!). In that case, you’re probably wondering what the key differences are in the 58mm versus your phone’s native tele lens.

First off, the aperture is key. The newer phones are produced with even more DSLR-like aperture range than ever before, so imagine what results you’d find with it coupled with a telephoto length. Images taken with the lens will show off a beautiful, vibey bokeh haze in the background while highlighting tack sharpness in the foreground.

• f/1.8 aperture on the wide-angle lens, giving you more depth.
• f/2.4 aperture resulting in less depth.

So yes, you’ll no doubt receive an enriched depth of field with the ultra-wide f/1.8 aperture alongside our 58mm focal length. You can clearly see the difference in the background’s creamy bokeh below:

Using the Moment Tele 58mm on the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro

Let’s chat about the 2x built-in lens on the latest iPhone 11 Pro. This particular lens received a lovely upgrade with a wider f/2.0 aperture, meaning that if you stack the Tele 58mm lens, this will give you a near 4x optical zoom — a complete 114mm lens comparison WITHOUT the loss of extreme quality. You’ll want to use the Moment Pro Camera App to select the 2x lens if you choose to stack the Tele lens due to the iPhone’s native camera not allowing users to shoot with our setup configuration, as the lens blocks the light sensor. Using our Pro Camera App means you, as the photographer, have complete control over your preferred settings and iteration.

However, there is no optical zoom lens when using our Tele Lens on the iPhone 11 (not the Pro). Thus, adding the Tele 58mm lens over your main camera will give you a nice buttery zoom. It’s like you have the Pro, but it’s a bit cheaper. Winks.

Portrait Mode Is Great, Too

DSLR, mirrorless, and film photographers often struggle with Portrait Mode as an added feature to the iPhone, Google, and Android cameras, as it straddles the line between a necessity and a gimmick. However, we are proud to say that the latest computation might be better than ever before (at least in Apple’s bloodline). While it remains a bit difficult to operate (meaning you have to have still to “stand within 8 feet of the subject”), it has grown increasingly intelligent on the software end. It doesn’t appear to have the horrific blur(s) around the edges of your subject. Don’t forget that you can post-process the image by increasing the aperture to a more subtle/intense blur (depending on your preference).

Happy Shooting!